The best part of fall may depend on who you ask: some say it’s all about Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but others might argue it’s watching the leaves as they change colours.
For the latter, Ontario Parks has started tracking the fall colours on its website.
Most provincial parks, including Algonquin and Arrowhead, are seeing trees still almost entirely covered in green foliage. However, some parks, like Balsam Lake in Kawartha Lakes, have just started to see some colour change.
Val Hamilton, executive director of Muskoka Tourism, says peak season for fall colours happens toward the end of September and beginning of October.
“The fall colours in Muskoka are truly some of the best in our country and we get so many people coming to the area for them,” she says.
While Algonquin Park is often jam-packed with people hoping to see the colourful leaves, Hamilton suggests going to Arrowhead Provincial Park in Huntsville or one of the many lookouts like in Dorset.
With a short period to get to the area to see the colours, Hamilton shares the “golden encore” starts on Oct. 20 when the leaves become golden yellow. Hamilton adds it also happens around peak cranberry harvest season with the iconic Bala Cranberry Festival scheduled for Oct. 18 to 20.
Muskoka Tourism’s fall colour report is available on its website, which Hamilton points out includes the best spots to see the changing colours along with the various events happening this fall throughout Muskoka.